MANAGING INTERRUPTIONS: THE ROLE OF FIT BETWEEN TASK DEMANDS AND CAPACITY

[摘要] Interruptions are important phenomena in organizations, and researchers debate their effects on performance. This paper reviews the literature and argues that the degree of fit between task demands and an actor's capacity determines whether the effects of interruptions on performance are positive or negative. The fit model hypothesizes that for actors working with a capacity deficit (i.e., their capacity scarcely meet the task demands), interruptions have detrimental effects on performance. Moreover, the greater the actors' capacity, the less negative their reactions to interruptions will be. Time diaries, surveys, and archival studies were conducted among 92 public school principals in an urban school district in the eastern United States. The results support the hypothesis on the main effects of interruptions and partially support the proposed moderating effects of individual effort. The contributions of this research and its implications for future work are discussed.

[发布机构] the University of Pittsburgh

[效力级别] complexity